Wow, it has been a while since I have been able to touch this project! This patch is a small update that adds a new map, and some music to listen to. Additionally, this patch fixes some bugs as they relate to the AI opponent in practice mode, and hopefully addresses some performance issues that users were having with the previous version of the game.
CHANGES FROM 0.0.2.5
PERFORMANCE OPTIMIZATIONS
I have added an additional Quality option - "Lowest". The "Lowest" Quality option will turn off particle effects in the background, along with dropping the rendering output of the game to 50%. I have also made some tweaks to the other three options.
Please check to make sure your Quality options have not changed since the last update. You may need to re-select your chosen Quality option, due to this update.
A.I. IMPROVEMENTS
The Artificial Intelligence is still rudimentary, but it was making some very strange decisions since the last patch (flagging bombs it shouldn't know are there, etc.). This should now be fixed, and the A.I. opponent is actually easier to play against as a result.
How the A.I. Functions The A.I. operates on the server-side of the game, and therefore has immediate access to the locations of all of the bombs as soon as the game starts. The A.I. then checks the locations of all the bombs, and determines whether it should flag them based on the information related to the surrounding tiles. I purposefully designed it like this, so that I can make extremely difficult game-modes in the future, where the A.I. can be very challenging to play against. However, the appropriate checks were not being made as to what tiles should be considered in this process, resulting in the "cheating" behavior of the default A.I.
NEW MAP
There is now a sixth map added to the game, featuring a bridge over a running river, surrounded by trees.
BUG FIXES
Various bugs have been fixed in this version of the game -
Clicking the Map in Practice Mode now works correctly
A.I. will no longer affect multiple bombs in one turn
Text in the Collection window no longer missing on certain resolutions
That's all for now! Hope everyone has a great weekend!
Patch V0.0.2.5
Hope everyone is doing well! I am finally finished with school, and can now focus on developing this game some more! This first patch is a little small, but addresses some community issues, and gives more content to unlock through playing.
CHANGES FROM 0.0.2.4
XP GAIN ADJUSTMENT
This has been adjusted, to be a little more rewarding for players who win, and equitable for players who lose. It also adjusts based on the overall length of the game, considering marked bombs and uncovered tiles earn additional XP.
Playing a game earns you a base amount of EXP:
Casual earns +40
Friend earns +30
Practice earns +20
Winning a game earns you additional EXP:
Casual earns +80
Friend earns +60
Practice earns +40
Successfully marking a Bomb earns +5 EXP.
Successfully sweeping a Tile earns you +0.25 EXP, rounded up to the nearest whole number. For example, sweeping 1 Tile gets you +1 EXP. Sweeping 4 Tiles gets you +1 EXP. Sweeping 5 Tiles gets you +2 EXP, etc.
Using an Item earns +2 EXP.
All of this gets added together, for your final EXP gain.
So, if you win a practice game by sweeping 77 Tiles, marking 12 Bombs, and using 6 Items, you will have earned 152 EXP.
If you win that same game, but only by sweeping 10 Tiles, marking 2 Bombs, and using 2 Items, you will only earn 77 EXP.
A.I. ADJUSTMENTS FOR PRACTICE GAMES
I am still working on the AI for practice mode... I'm trying some different ways for the AI determine whether to flag a bomb or uncover a tile. It's a very tricky process, especially because I don't have the infrastructure for a proper machine-learning implementation. It's purely algorithm-based, so tweaking that algorithm over time is what makes the AI smarter (or dumber, haha).
BUG FIX FOR RESOLUTION / REFRESH RATES >60Hz
Previously, monitors with fixed refresh rates that were greater than 60Hz were unable to see any available resolutions in the options menu. I made an adjustment to show resolutions, independent of refresh rate. I'm pretty certain this has been fixed now, but please let me know if this is not the case!
WHAT I'M WORKING ON
There are a few more cosmetics left to add in to the game, specifically earrings and end-game outfits.
New items. Working on a "life-leech" item, that steals health from one player and gives it to the other.
AI improvement, specifically in flagging, and shop usage.
That's all for now! Happy and healthy holidays, everyone!
Patch V0.0.2.4
A well-deserved update for this game... I managed to get some time this past week to get back into developing for this game, and I'm super excited to bring these new updates to everyone!
CHANGES FROM 0.0.2.3
NEW ITEM - CLEANSING STONE The new "Cleansing Stone" item is an extremely rare Attack treasure, and will set both you and your opponent's health and maximum health to 3. It can be purchased in the mid-game Item Shop for 30 gold, and sells for 6 gold.
NEW ENVIRONMENT - FOREST ENCAMPMENT The new environment is set in a rainy forest encampment, with large trees all around.
UPDATED EXISTING ENVIRONMENTS All previously existing environments have been updated with additional effects, improved lighting, shadows, and more!
IMPROVED A.I. FOR PRACTICE GAMES The A.I. has been updated to take advantage of the new Cleansing Stone item, and has also been updated to utilize the Compass.
BETTER ITEM REPORTING When a treasure is used, it will now be reported to both players, by showing the treasure card in the center of the screen briefly. No more having to guess what your opponent played based on the effects that take place.
REMOVED ITEM FORGIVENESS Items will now cast regardless of whether they benefit you or not. For example, if you are at full health, and you use a Carrot (or Meat) treasure, you will consume that treasure, even though you will not gain health. As a result of this change, you can also "miss" with the Magnet treasure if your opponent is not holding any treasures, so you will need to pay closer attention to your opponent, as they gain and use items each turn.
MORE MUSIC Added a couple more musical tracks to listen to while you play, courtesy of ZapSplat.com
WHAT I'M WORKING ON
Still... Adding... Cosmetics...
Thinking up and adding new items. I am looking to add an item to the game that will prevent "magical" effects for a turn. This would work similar to the Shield item, but instead of blocking damage from Bombs, it would prevent Dark Scales and the newly added Cleansing Stone. I am also playing around with a healing item that features a vampire-themed effect. This item would theoretically steal health from one player and give it to the other.
Playing around with the starting health value. I'm considering bumping this to 4, but I need to see how it impacts aggressive play styles.
I'm also still trying to create a more compelling A.I. to play against. It's getting there with each update, but it takes a lot of time and play-testing...
